Leo's Exhausted, but Who Cares?
by purplepuppy7
Summary: Leo Valdez works day in and day out to get the Argo II finished, not that anyone cares. Or do they? Can his friends figure out what's wrong, or will Leo's mask shatter?
1. No Time to Breathe

**Hi everyone! Welcome to my first HoO fanfic! The timeline centers around the building of the Argo II, and Leo's thoughts throughout the time. Please feel free to review, constructive criticism is welcome! And, since this fic centers around our resident fire user, I can't exactly say no flames now, can I? Hope you enjoy it, and let me know whether to continue!**

 **Disclaimer: There is NO WAY that I own any of this, evidenced by the fact that Riordan would never write something like this.**

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The sweat drips from my forehead, stinging as it falls into my eyes. Grimacing, I shake out my arm, flexing my stiff fingers. The Argo II should have been finished by now, but I can't just devote all my time to the stupid ship now, can I? I glance at my watch, 9:00. Shoot, I missed dinner! None of my friends noticed, I guess, but can I blame them? I mean, I am just the odd one out. Jason used to help me out, controlling the winds around me so I could do maintenance off the side of the ship without a harness and flying up himself to help hold the mast or secure a bolt. I can't expect him to help me out more. After all, he does deserve to be happy with Piper. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I sprint out of Bunker 9 back to the cabin to make sure everything is set and stuff, because as Head Counselor, I need to make sure everyone is okay.

"Leo! Hi! Guess what, I made this!" Harley dashes up to me and thrusts something in my face.

"Harvey, hey! What's up, lil' bro? Hey what's that?"

"It's the Argo I! Since you're making the Argo II, I thought I'd make you an Argo figurine to go with it! Ya like it?"

"It's awesome, little dude! You getting ready for bed now?" Harley is only eight, and I've set curfews on the kids based on their ages for the younger ones, because I know they'll try to stay up too late if I don't.

"Of course Leo! It's almost bedtime!"

Okay, sure, most kids aren't usually this excited to go to bed early, but I have a rule. If the 8-10 year olds all follow the curfew, I give them something special, like a new invention, or a fire show, courtesy of Firemaster Leo. I go through the motions this time, even though I usually enjoy the nighttime ritual. As I finish up the flame routine with a ring of fire and jump through it, neatly tucking into a flip before landing on my feet, I stumble and trip on the floor.

"Leo! Are you okay?" Nyssa is propped against the doorframe, enjoying the show. She rushes over to me when she sees me stumble.

"Nys! Chill! I'm fineee! I'm the Supreme Badboy Commander McShizzle, nothing can hurt me!" I turn back to the kids, flicking off the lights before stepping out of the door. Nyssa frowns at me.

"You sure you're really okay? You seem... burnt out."

"Burnt out? Please Nys, I control fire, I am fine. Just, a bit tired is all."

She nods at me. I take a long look at her. I take stock of the dark bags under her eyes, shaky knees, and her unruly hair.

"Nyssa, just go relax tonight okay?"

"But we usually work a bit more on the Argo after the younger kids go to bed."

"I know, but we're all too tired. I need a break, and so does everyone else. We can double up the shifts tomorrow."

Nyssa peers at me, then sighs. "I guess you're right Leo, we do need a rest every once in a while. Just- you get some sleep tonight too, okay?"

"Sure thing Nys." I wave goodbye and head towards my bunk. What she doesn't know is that back when I first got Beckendorf's bunk, one of the first things I did was make a secret door, protected and hidden by about sixty different safety measures and traps. I'd been feeling too trapped in, and I hated being trapped, especially after foster home number- no! I won't bring up those memories again. It's done, it's over, and I'm free now.

I slip out of the cabin and glance around, but none of the campers seem to notice me. As usual. I quickly jog back to the Bunker and start working again. I can't expect my cabin mates to work on the Argo around the clock, not when it's my responsibility. I grab my pixie stick stash and quickly down a few, before sticking a piece of gum in my mouth and picking up my wrench. I'm already behind schedule, and I can't afford to lose more time. Around 6 in the morning, however, I finally succumb to the mind numbing exhaustion that overtakes my body, and drift off, propped up against the unfinished hull.


	2. There's Nobody Else to Blame

**Hello readers! Here it is, chapter 2! I'm not entirely pleased with how this chapter turned out, I had some ideas all fleshed out but then my chapters and plans all got deleted :( So, please let me know how I can improve it!**

 **Huge thanks to my reviewers, you are amazing people:**

 **Sparklehannah - thank you for the kind words of encouragement. I always did think Leo would be an amazing head counselor. Unfortunately, no more awesome big brother Leo in this chapter, but you can expect lots more to come!**

 **Irenechon2005 - thanks so much! It is so cool that you think my writing could actually be even close to awesome!**

 **Tala May - Huge thanks for taking the time to read and review my story!**

 **Quihi - Amazing criticism! I didn't even notice the discrepancy between my summary and canon, thanks for letting me know!**

 **EvergreenDragon - here you go! Chapter two! Let me know if I should keep going :)**

 **Trigger warning: There is some blood in this chapter, and some self-suturing. Please do not read if this bothers you, but nothing too graphic.**

 **Disclaimer: I absolutely, positively, in no way whatsoever own even the tiniest part of the Heroes of Olympus universe or any characters created by Rick Riordan.**

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"Leo! Leo Valdez where are you?" Annabeth's voice sharply echoes through Bunker 9.

I startle awake, wincing as my head clangs against a beam of the unfinished hull on the Argo II.

"Leo! There you are! What are you doing, sleeping? How are we ever going to get this ship done if you slack off like this?"

"Oh, hey Annabeth." I stretch out my muscles, sore from sleeping in an awkward position. "What's the time?"

"What's the time? WHAT'S THE TIME! Leo, it's 8:30 in the morning! You promised me that you'd wake up early and meet me here so we could discuss how the Argo II is coming along! But what are you doing here? Sleeping. You need to WORK Leo, this is important."

"Hey Annabeth, chill out a bit would you?"

"Chill out! Leo, the ship is so far from finished, we are way behind schedule, and we need to get things done!"

"S-sorry Annie" I mumble as everything spins.

"Hey Leo, are you okay?"

I flash her a grin. "Perfectly fine! Now what was it you wanted to see?"

"Did you and your siblings get the hull finished yesterday? It was supposed to be done a week ago."

"Oh yeah, that. Umm, we ran into some problems with the welding... it's almost done though!"

"Leo! You can not slack off like this! Just- I don't know, try to finish it today, okay?" Annabeth brushes some hair off of her face. She looks exhausted. She's been spending so much of her time looking for Percy, no wonder she hasn't been able to help me with the ship very much. He's more important, we can't succeed without him.

"Yes Ma'am!" I smirk at her as I salute. Then I turn more serious. "Don't worry Annabeth. I'll get this done, okay? You just do what you need to do."

She glares at me. "Leo, this is no time for joking! You need to be more responsible!"

"Cool it, Wise Girl!" I retort, my irritation overflowing.

CRASH! Annabeth shoves me backwards, and I crash into a nearby worktable, wincing as I connect with the heavy building tools. "DON'T CALL ME THAT, YOU IDIOT LOSER! YOU ARE USELESS AND PATHETIC AND CAN'T EVEN BUILD A STUPID SHIP RIGHT! YOU ARE NOTHING, YOU IMBECILE!" She storms out of the bunker ranting and raging as I try to catch my breath from the heavy fall. I wince as I shift my arm, a sharp pain stinging through me.

"That's not good." I mutter, seeing the small saw-like knife sliced into my left arm. "Well, at least it isn't my dominant arm." I carefully remove the knife, staunching the flow of blood with a nearby rag. I grit my teeth as the wound burns. It doesn't seem too serious, but it's not a pretty sight. A flap of my skin hangs down, and a deep puncture leaks blood, dripping onto the floor. For a brief moment, I consider running down to the infirmary and snagging a bit of ambrosia, that would probably fix it up right away, but then I reconsider.

"This little cut isn't so bad! Anyway, I have to get back to work, and there's people that need the ambrosia a lot more than me, they're more important. I'll be fine!" I try to talk myself up, make believe it isn't so bad. Tightly wrapping the wound, packing it with gauze from my little first aid kit, I set back to work. Every swing of my hammer or twist of my screwdriver causes me agony as a fresh wave of blood spurts from the wound, and I am woozy from a lack of proper food and sleep. After struggling through another hour of work, my bandages are completely soaked with blood.

"Shoot! This really is not good!" A brief inspection of my cut tells me that this needs more than just gauze and bandages. I head over to the sewing kit in the corner that I keep for when I rip my clothes when working, steeling myself for what's to come.

I pull out a needle, muttering a quick prayer to Hephaestus as I thread it and tie a tight knot. Lighting a white-hot flame on the tip of my finger, I run the needle through, effectively sterilizing it. Infection is the last thing I need right now. I grit my teeth and bring the tip of the needle to my arm. In, out, in, out, the needle slices through my flesh, pulling together the edges of my skin. Spots dance at the edge of my vision as blood drips onto the floor. I breathe out through my mouth, my nostrils filling with the acrid stench of my own burning flesh. A few more stitches and I tie it off, throwing the needle off to the side and slumping against the wall, fighting to maintain consciousness.

After a few minutes, I struggle to my feel, my knees quavering as I push myself off the ground. I wipe the blood from the floor and the first aid supplies, tucking the first aid kit neatly back into the corner. After wiping off my wound, I put on a fresh layer of bandages before shrugging a loose hoodie over my sweat soaked t-shirt. I stagger out of Bunker 9 towards the cabins, wondering how I will hide this from the rest of the campers. My youngest Cabin 9 kids are way too perceptive for their own good, and if anyone finds out, I will be stuck in the infirmary. I can't afford to lose valuable time from working on the ship, it is the only thing I'm good for. I have to either finish the Argo II, or die trying. With that thought, I continue on back to the camp, sliding a smile back onto my face and returning to the carefree Leo everyone thinks I am, and knowing that I can never let anyone see past this mask.

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 **Well, there it is, chapter 2! Yayyyyyyyyyy :D**


	3. Can Anybody Notice Me?

**Hi everyone! Thanks to all the readers who have stuck it through to chapter three!**

 **And to all my reviewers: thank you for inspiring me to continue this story! I've had so many ideas swimming through my head, I didn't know where to start but reading your reviews convinced me to keep writing :)**

 **CA Hawkins - I'm glad you like the story! They always say to write the story you want to read, so I decided to!**

 **Quihi - I completely agree. I tried not to make Annabeth too out of character, but she does tend to lash out when she's stressed. And yes, if he continues the way he is, Leo is going to be in serious trouble, so lets hope he gets the help he needs soon!**

 **Irene2005 - OMG I love when stories expose pieces of Leo's past! I don't think I'm going to go too far into his past with this story, but I hope to write about it sometime.**

 **Tala May - Thank you! It is great to know that my story isn't bad!**

 **As a warning, there is continual description of an injury and some minor mentions of blood in this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing! At all! Except the clothes I'm wearing and my iPad, which are technically mine. But none of this story is my property. ENJOY! :D**

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"Leo!" My cabin mates swarm around me as soon as I step over the threshold into Cabin 9.

"Hey guys! What's up? Is everyone awake?"

"LEO!" Harley runs up to me. "You were a little late and I was wondering where you were and I woke everyone up for you and I got ready and I even brushed my teeth, see!"

"Hey Harley! Great job! Thanks for getting everyone up, we wouldn't want to be late to breakfast!"

"Leo! Hey, where were you this morning?" Nyssa walks up to me, her hands on her hips.

"Oh, hi Nyssa. I was just checking over the ship a bit, and Annabeth needed to see me, so I just headed up to the Bunker a bit early today." I flashed her a grin.

"You didn't wake up too early, right Leo? You need to rest too you know!" She glares at me, full Nyssa style, demanding me to tell the truth.

"Me? Wake up early? Nah, Nys, I was up barely before any of you!" Technically, this is the truth, because I did doze off for a bit in the Bunker and wake up a little late. Raising my voice, I shout to the rest of the cabin, "C'mon guys, time for breakfast! Hurry up!"

As we head out of the cabin, Nyssa tosses me a friendly punch to the shoulder. I wince as her punch lands a few inches away from the new wound: even though my cabin mates know to pull their punches for the Scrawny McShizzle that I am, they still pack quite a blow. Spots dance in my vision as I grab the doorpost to steady myself, thanking that everyone had already gone on ahead of me as I gulped in air and blinked hard to regain focus.

I jog down to breakfast, keeping my injured arm close to my body and wincing as it is jostled with every step. At breakfast, I pick at my meal, tossing most of it into the bronze brazier and cutting the rest into the smallest pieces I can, before murmuring a quick excuse and slipping away to work on the ship.

The next few days pass almost in a blur of agony and exhaustion. All of Cabin 9 furiously works on the ship, and all of us are exhausted to the bone by the end of the day. Annabeth periodically comes in to check on us, and I dread every time that she does. Sure, she can give some helpful insights and a different perspective when something isn't working, but I know what comes every time she does. Sure, she'll smile at the rest of the cabin, appreciating every little thing that the others do, especially the younger ones. However, as soon as we are alone, she tears into me, degrading me for my laziness and stressing the importance of the Argo II. I let her rant and rave and push me around, because I know how stressed she is trying to manage the Athena campers and search for Percy, but I wish that she would just give me a break sometimes!

As time goes on, I can feel myself practically withering away. I hide my now-skeletal frame under baggy hoodies, and my pants rely almost entirely on a belt or tool belt to hold them up.

I sigh as I hoist myself upwards to the top of the ship, watching my footing to make sure I don't slip, when Jason and Piper's voices ring out. "Leo! Hi!" Startled, I slip down, thanking that I had tied a harness around my waist, as I swing to crash into the side of the ship. I cry out as I connect with the side of the frame, and my arm burns worse than the time I spilled liquid nitrogen on myself. I grapple for a handhold before lowering myself down, crumpling to the floor.

"Leo! Leo! Are you okay? Stay with me!" I blink as Piper screams in my face, and the unintentional charmspeak that slips into her voice snaps me back to alertness.

"Hey Pipes! Hi Jason! What's up? Here to check out the ship?"

"Leo... are you okay?" Jason peers at me.

"Sure, no problem, just a little startled is all!" I clench my right fist behind my back, digging my fingernails into my callused palm in an effort to distract myself from the debilitating pain radiating from the wound, which I am sure has opened up again.

"Jasonnnnnnnnnnnn" A voice rings out from nearby, and Jason swears under his breath.

"Damn it, I forgot I had offered to teach a few newbies how to fight using different styles of swordplay!" He runs out of the cabin, Piper hot on his heels.

I sigh with relief when they leave, snagging the first aid kit as I stumble over to a corner desk and drop into the chair. I unwrap the bandages carefully, wincing when the now scarlet cloths catch on patches of dried blood. I remove all the wrappings to see the gash, fiery red and sluggishly leaking trails of blood. I wince, there is no way I could stand to stitch the cut back up. I move to grab new bandages and stop as the world blurs around me. Not good. I grit my teeth and begin to wind the bandages around the open wound, but he pain begins to overtake me, and the sleepless, starving weeks are catching up to me. Before I have even finished wrapping the wound I am unable to bear it anymore, and I slip out of the chair onto the cold floor and lie there, shivering. I furiously blink and dig my fingernails into my right palm, trying to remain conscious.

"Leo? Are you there?" Nyssa and Harley's voices ring out, echoing through the bunker.

"H-Harl..." I trail off, unable to finish the name.

"LEO!" Harley runs up to me. "What happened! Oh my gods your arm!"

"Leo! You've been injured!"

"Way to st-state the obvious, Nys" I slur out. Nyssa picks me up in a cradle effortlessly, frowning when she feels my ribs through my thin shirt. She runs out of the bunker screaming for a medic.

"Stay with me Leo, you're going to be okay." That's all I hear before the world spins and I drift off into a restless slumber.

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 **THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING!**


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